5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Annual ... - Monitor

3.7 Engaging with and Listening to Service Users and Local
Groups
3.7.1 Engaging with Service Users and Carers
The Trust engages with service users and carers through a variety of ways
including through face-to-face contact with staff; membership of our
Foundation Trust and Council of Members, and Forums linked to our six
business streams (Adults, Later life and Memory Service, Learning
Disability, Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Forensic, KIPS Community
Services). Executive and Non-Executive Directors, and other Senior
Managers attend the Forums for ‘Take it to the Top’ which offers an open
question and answer session and updates on strategic business.
In September last year, Jason Wolf from the Beryl Institute based in the
USA visited the Trust during his ‘On the Road Tour’. Jason aimed to
identify exemplar Patient Experience initiatives and share them through
the Institute’s website. In his online diary following his visit Jason made
reference to the Trust’s ‘Take it to the Top’ sessions.
He said that what stood out in learning about this program was how the
service users described the event: “Any Chief Executive who would open
himself up for a potential barrage of the unknown in order to bring his
facility closer to the needs of the community is a significant action and as
one person stated a particularly brave undertaking. This modelling of
expected behaviour is one of the best examples I have seen in healthcare
of a willingness to step out and engage in a conversation of patient and
community needs. By providing people direct access to the top and
ensuring honest and straightforward answers, the leaders make a
statement about how all staff should behave in engaging with patients,
families and the community.”
Jason also highlighted other work undertaken by the Trust including the
Big Brother Booth, the Personality Disorder Hub Experts By Experience
Programme and the Involvement Scheme.
3.7.2 Overview and Scrutiny Committees
The Trust links with five Overview and Scrutiny Committees on health
issues and proposed developments of the Trust. The Quality Report has
been shared with Local Involvement Networks (LINks) and Overview and
Scrutiny Committees and they have been invited to contribute to the 2011-
12 Quality Report.
Appendix 1 contains supporting statements from a range of external
organisations. This includes:
The Commissioning PCT
LINks Groups
Local Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committees.
Annual Report and Annual Accounts 2011-12 109